Friday, November 07, 2008

Around the World: Kasha Kupecheskaya

An old Russian proverb says, "You can't feed a Russian without kasha." Here is kasha kupe- cheskaya: cooked toasted buckwheat kernels, carmelized onions, and tofu (taking the place of the traditional hard-boiled eggs).

I would add to that old saying that you also can’t feed a Russian without mushrooms. I have never eaten mushrooms as delicious as those made for me by a Russian immigrant friend, who told me of how they would hunt for wild mushrooms in her native country, and how mushrooms were considered an important meat replacer during the Orthodox fasts. These are chanterelles (I don't know if it's the same everywhere, but our local Costco has 1 lb. fresh chanterelles for $8.99!!).

The other containers hold a small salad with dressing, a pear, and two Russian Tea Cakes (little cookies rolled in powdered sugar).

And could it be? Yes, it's another new lunch box! This is the new three-tier To-Go Ware container. To-Go Ware has a brand new look, with two-tier and three-tier containers and, best of all, the small stainless steel dressing containers we've all been hoping for. The new lunch boxes also come apart so you can carry just the top tier for a light snack.

21 comments:

Zdorovo! Like your Russian friend, the people in my home county hunt for mushrooms in the woods. Here we have morels, which always taste better when you've found them yourself! They're also very substantial and, um, meaty?

I'm from Russia originally and also remember hunting for mushrooms in the woods. This not only brings back memories, but also reminds me that my favorite vegetable side dish (caramelized onions) can be added to kasha. :) I think I'll see about making that...

Note to vegans in general: Visiting Russia (or any Orthodox country) during Lent is wonderful. All restaurants suddenly have an almost exclusively vegan "lent menu" and grocery stores carry lots of interesting meat substitutes. I seriously ate better than at home, which is odd considering that the rest of the year in Russia is terrible for vegans.

I was wondering if you could let me know what the approximate volume of the compartments are. I can't seem to find that information anywhere. I suppose I could use the inch measurements and break out the calculator, but maybe you could tell me too. Thanks!

hi there! We just got your book from Amazon. My teen daughter is vegan and we hope that it will be a good fit for her. Also, I was diagnosed with diabetes about 2 months ago and have changed my food patterns. One food that I have found that is good for my blood sugar is Kasha and make it often. This week I made it with mushrooms! Very cool that you wrote about the same thing! My girl won't eat the Kasha, but that means more for me!